UK insurers estimate Kyrill damages at Cdn$795 million

The Association of British Insurers estimated that insured damage caused by winter windstorm Kyrill could reach 350 million [approximately Cdn$795 million] in the United Kingdom, reports A.M. Best.Kyrill, a powerful winter Atlantic windstorm, hit the southern shores of the UK on Jan. 18, before moving on to the Netherlands, Germany, parts of the Czech Republic and Poland. Thought to be the worst windstorm in Europe since windstorms Lothar and Martin in December 1999, Kyrill brought wind speeds of up to 124 miles per hour.In the United Kingdom, electricity pylons were damaged over a wide area, knocking out power to an estimated 250,000 people in parts of southeastern England, reported A.M. Best.A container ship suffered engine problems and structural damages to its hull and had to be beached on the south coast of the English county of Devon, losing a small part of its cargo in the process, the news brief explained.Containers continue to be washed off its decks, making the insurance bill hard to calculate, according to insurance sources.